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Top, bottom and versatile
In human sexuality, top, bottom and versatile are terms that describe roles during sexual intercourse, especially between two men. A top is a person who penetrates, a bottom is one who receives penetration, and a versatile engages in both activities. These terms may be elements of self-identity that indicate an individual's usual preference, but might also describe broader social, psychological, or sexual identities. Top, bottom and versatile are also used in BDSM to describe similar—but distinct—BDSM identities and practices. Top A top is a person who engages in the penetrative role in sexual intercourse; for men, this involves penetration using the penis during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Top is also used as a verb meaning "to penetrate another." Top may also describe a broader personal identity involving dominance in a romantic or sexual relationship; however, this stipulation is not a requisite element of being a top. Several related terms exist. With regard to gay male sexuality, a is one who assumes an exclusively penetrative role for both oral and anal sex. A total top by definition never assumes a receptive role for either oral or anal sex. A is one noted for their great skill or aggressiveness in topping. A is one who tops under the direction of an eager bottom. A is one who prefers to top but who bottoms occasionally. An oral top by definition does not engage in anal sex and is the exclusively penetrative partner during oral sex.Versatile Top. Gaylife.about.com (2012-01-01). Retrieved on 2012-01-09. The terms or are synonyms of top created to describe the act of penetrating without implying non-egalitarian relations among participants. Trevor Hart of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in the 2003 publication of The Journal of Sex Research that self-identified tops were indeed vastly more likely to act as the penetrative partner. The study also found that a top is also more likely to act as the penetrative partner in other sexual activities, such as oral sex and sex toy play. Bottom A bottom is the receptive partner during sexual intercourse. With regard to gay male sexuality, this usually means through the anus during anal sex. ''Bottom is also used as a verb meaning "to be penetrated by another, whether anally or orally." Bottom may also describe a wider social context of submission within a romantic or sexual relationship, though this element does not apply to all people who prefer to bottom. In gay male sexuality, a total bottom is someone who assumes an exclusively passive or receptive role during anal or oral intercourse. A is someone who aggressively enjoys being the receptive partner. A is one who prefers to bottom but who tops occasionally.Versatile Bottom. Gaylife.about.com (2012-01-01). Retrieved on 2012-01-09. The term or may be preferred by some. An oral bottom (alternatively described as being the "oral active" partner) is the exclusively receptive partner in oral sex, providing the penetrative partner, or oral top (alternatively described as being the "oral passive" partner), with unreciprocated fellatio and irrumatio. Versatile Versatile, also known as , refers to a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming, or being dominant and submissive, and may alternate between the two in sexual situations. [http://www.maennerarzt-linz.at/index.php?id=84 "Männer, die sowohl passiven als auch aktiven Analsex praktizieren, nennt man versatile."] Georg Pfau, Präventionsmedizin für den Mann, Linz 2009 Flip-flop commonly describes switching from top to bottom during one sexual encounter between two men. Both participants penetrate the other and get penetrated. Versatility is a concept of lifestyle. "In large cities in the United States, gay men are for the most part expected to be versatile, not only in top versus bottom roles (if any) but also in the choice of particular acts (e.g., oral, anal, masturbatory)."Human sexuality. An Encyclopedia, edited by Vern L. Bullough, Bonnie Bullough, New York, London 1994, p. 280 ISBN 0-8240-7972-8 Versatility though is not limited to the simple acts of oral and anal penetration, but also includes the splitting of duties and responsibilities in the relationship. According to some, living a versatile life style implies a certain openness to new things and an opposition to labels, stereotypes and generalizations. Therefore this concept differs from heterosexual relationships where sexual compatibility does not begin with guessing who will end up as top or bottom. In self descriptions of men seeking sex with other men they may refer to themselves as a versatile top or versatile bottom in addition to other commonly used terms. A 2009 Austrian study on gay pornography has shown that at least 82.4% of all men performing in the male porn industry are versatile at one point or the other during their career. In this study, the performances of 5,556 actors have been considered. 10.8% performed only in the top role, 6.8% only as bottoms. The study also found that the actor with the larger penis was more likely to act as the top.Michelides, Christian: Männlichkeitskonstruktionen der Pornografie zur Jahrtausendwende, Wien 2009 Versatility is a common theme of erotic artist Tom of Finland. Role vs. position among sexualities Top, bottom and versatile, as used in regards to sex between males, refer specifically to penetration role, regardless of the physical positioning during sex.Topping or Bottoming – How To Know If You're A Top Or Bottom. Gaylife.about.com (2012-01-01). Retrieved on 2012-01-09. For example, in positions where the inserting partner lies on his back and the receptive partner straddles the inserting partner, the inserting partner is still considered to assume the "top" role, even though he is positioned on the bottom (and vice-versa). When used in reference to heterosexual and lesbian sex, the terms top, bottom and versatile usually refer only to position and not to the penetrative role. Prevalence No scientific study has ever been conducted as to what percentage of the gay and bisexual male population prefers any given role. The popular assumption is that the majority prefer to bottom and that those that prefer to top are in the minority. A tally of 55,464 profiles on gay.com from the United States showed that 26.46% preferred top, while 31.92% preferred bottom, and the largest group (41.62%) preferred versatile. The preferences seemed to vary by state, however. In Wyoming, for example, 16% preferred top, 44% preferred bottom, and 40% preferred versatile. In West Virginia, tops outnumbered bottoms by a slim margin (32% top, 29% bottom, and 39% versatile). In Oregon, "versatile" profiles made up nearly half (48.42%).• View topic – Best states for tops, bottoms, versatiles. Straightacting.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-09. In BDSM In BDSM, the terms top, bottom and switch are related, but BDSM-distinct phenomenon. BDSM seems to have adopted and derived these terms as loan words from gay culture. See also * Sex position * Seme and uke, related terms in Japanese manga and anime publications and fandom References ;Notes Category:Anal eroticism Category:Male homosexuality Category:Sexual roles Category:Sexology Category:LGBT slang